Today's Scripture Readings

Saints, Feasts, and Readings for 11/28/2013

Prayer Before Reading Holy Scripture

O Master Who loves mankind, illuminate our hearts with the pure light of Your divine knowledge and open the eyes of our mind to understand the teachings of Your Gospel. Instill in us also the fear of Your blessed commandments, that we may overcome all carnal desires, entering upon a spiritual life and understanding and acting in all things according to Your holy will. For You are the enlightenment of our souls and bodies, O Christ God, and to You we give glory together with Your eternal Father and Your all-holy, gracious and life-giving Spirit, now and ever and forever. Amen.

Epistle Reading: 1 Thessalonians 2:9-14

For you remember, brethren, our labor and toil; for
laboring night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, we
preached to you the gospel of God.

You are witnesses, and God also, how devoutly and
justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe;

as you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and
charged every one of you, as a father does his own children,

that you would have a walk worthy of God who calls
you into His own kingdom and glory.

For this reason we also thank God without ceasing,
because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you
welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God,
which also effectively works in you who believe.

For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches
of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus. For you also suffered the same
things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Jews,

Gospel Reading: Luke 16:1-9

And He also said to His disciples: "There was a certain rich
man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man
was wasting his goods.

"So he called him and said to him, 'What is this I hear about
you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.'

"Then the steward said within himself, 'What shall I do? For
my master is taking the stewardship away from me. I cannot dig; I am
ashamed to beg.

'I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the
stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.'

"So he called every one of his master's debtors to him, and
said to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?'

"And he said, 'A hundred measures of oil.' So he said to him, '
Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.'

"Then he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?' So he
said, 'A hundred measures of wheat.' And he said to him, 'Take your bill,
and write eighty.'

"So the master commended the unjust steward because he had
dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their
generation than the sons of light.

"And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous
mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into everlasting
habitations.